Water treating composition



Patented Nov. 9,1937 t Y I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER TREATING COMPOSITION Everett P. Partridge, Brookside Farms, Bethel Township, Pa., assignor to Hall Laboratories, .Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania No Drawing. Application October 31, 1936,

- Serial No.108.839 1 6 Claims. (Cl. 210-23) This invention relates generally to a water case there is a rehydration and an atomic reartreating composition andmethod of making the rangement of the atoms of the molecule when they same, and more particularly to a composition for are subjected to water at boiler temperatures. treating'steamboiler water. When sucha molecularly dehydrated phosphate n The Hall and Jackson Patent No. 1,903,041 discontaining finely divided metal, such as zinc, iron, closes a method of .treating water for steam boilmagnesium or aluminum, is added to boiler water, ers in which an alkali-metal metaphosphate or the alkalinity of the water in the boiler is conpyrophosphate or the corresponding acids are trolled, the formation of adherent boiler scale is added to the water in the boiler or to the water prevented by the phosphate, and dissolved oxy- 10 in the feed lines leading to the boiler in order to gen in the water is removed due to the action of 10 control the alkalinity of the water in the boiler the finely divided metal, all of these reactions coand prevent the formation of adherent boiler operating in order-to produce themost desirable scale. As disclosed in that patent, the alkaliconditions in the boiler water. The phosphate metal metaphosphates or pyrophosphates or the keeps the finely divided metal dispersed in the corresponding acids, when subjected to water at water so that the composition may be'added to 15 boiler temperatures, are molecularly rehydrated the water in the boiler feed lines without clogging into the orthophosphates and acids which have them. greater alkali-neutralizing capacity than the The finely divided metal, for example zinc, may metaor pyrophosphates or acids. In this man-- be combined with sodium metaphosphate or other ner, the alkalinity in the boiler is controlled withmolecularly dehydrated phosphate by adding the 20 out proportionately decreasing the alkalinity of zinc to the metaphosphate after the metaphosthe water in the feed lines. The formation of phate has been fused and allowed to' cool to a adherent boiler scale is also prevented or deviscous condition, and'thereafter rapidly cooling creased. the mass by pouring it onto chilled rolls. If the 5 In addition to treating the boiler water so as zinc or other metal is added to the molten metato regulate its alkalinity and prevent the formaphosphate before the metaphosphate has been tion of adherent scale, it is' also advisable to re-- cooled to a viscous condition, there lsdanger of move dissolved oxygen from the water. Dissolved the zinc burning and reducing the metaphosphate or free' oxygen, if present invthe'boiler water, at the same time. Where, however; the zinc is leads to corrosion of the boiler surfaces with added to the metaphosphate when the latter has 30 which the water is in contact and also increases been cooled to a viscous condition, the vreaction, the tendency toward scale formation. if any, between the zinc and the metaphosphate In accordance with the present invention, the is only slight and unobjectionable, The zinc or removal of oxygen from boiler water is accomother finely divided metal may be sprinkled upon plished by combining finely divided metal with an the surface of the viscous sodium metaphosphate 35 alkali-metal metaphosphate or pyrophosphate or mother molecularly dehydrated phosphate and the corresponding acids and employing the comthe mass immediately poured onto chilling rolls position so produced in the treatment of boiler. or wheels so as to rapidly cool the product and water. Finely divided metal, such as zinc, iron, form it into powder or flakes. In this marger,

40 magnesium and aluminum, have the property of a produce is obtained in which the molecui rly 40 removing dissolved oxygen from water at boiler dehydrated phosphate has the finely powd red temperatures. For example, powdered zinc reacts metal disseminated therethrough orcoated therereadily with water at boiler temperatures, liberon. If desired, the zinc or other finely powdered ating atomic hydrogen. This atomic hydrogen metal may be introduced between two streams reacts with dissolved oxygen present in the water of the viscous phosphate just before they conto fix it as water.' The water. treating composltact with the chilling rolls. In-this way a ,prod-' tion of the present inventionis a molecularly .denot is produced in which the finely dividedjmetal hydrated phosphate containing finely divided is embedded within the powder or flakes-of metametal having the property of reacting with disphosphate.

0 solved oxygen in water at boiler temperatures. The molecularly dehydrated phosphate con- By the term molecularly dehydrated phosphate taining zinc is useful not only in the removal I ismeant either the alkali-metal metaphosphateor of dissolved oxygen, but also serves the purpose pyrophosphate, or materials of intermediate com of removing silica which sometimes is objectionposition sometimes referred to as polyphosable. y

phates, or the corresponding acids, since in each The molecularly dehydrated phosphatev which 55 922, 8th Edition, Berlin, 1928); or Graham'smetaphosphate" (A Dictionary of Chemistry, by Henry Watts, vol. 4, page 578, New York, 1873;

A Treatise on Chemistry, by Roscoe & Schorlemmer, vol. 2, part 1, page 233; New York, 1923). Graham's metaphosphate or salt is believed to consist principally of sodium hexametaphosphate. This'material has the property of sequestering calcium and magnesium in a soluble and but slightly ionized form, so that when it is added to hard water containing calcium or magnesium, it prevents the formation of insoluble calcium or magnesium salts or soaps. The use of my product is not limited to boiler water application, but may be used wherever a water softening action combined with the removal of oxygen or silica is desired.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention and the preferred manner of practicing the invention, it will be understood,

that it is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A water treating composition comprising a molecularly dehydrated phosphate containing finelydivided metal which reacts with dissolved oxygen in water at boiler temperatures.

2. A water treating composition comprising a molecularly dehydrated phosphate containing finely divided metal of the class consisting of zinc, iron, magnesium and aluminum.

3. A water treating composition comprising a molecularly dehydrated phosphate containing finely divided zinc.

'4. A water treating composition comprising an alkali-metal metaphosphate containing finely divided metal which reacts with dissolved oxygen in water at boiler temperatures.

5. A water treating composition comprising an alkali-metal metaphosphate containing finely divided zinc.

6. A water treating composition comprising Graham's salt and finely divided metal which reacts with dissolved oxygen in water at boiler temperatures.

' EVERE'I'I' P. PARTRIDGE. 

